Cooper-Man
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IRATE Dragons coach Nathan Brown yesterday launched an extraordinary outburst against the Melbourne Storm as his winger Jason Nightingale described last Monday night's attack on him by Billy Slater as "a dog act".
Brown, incensed by Slater's defence of his striking charge at the NRL judiciary, said his side would be prepared to use illegal violence against Melbourne if the teams met in the finals.
Slater successfully had his charge for hitting Nightingale with a flurry of punches downgraded on Wednesday night after claiming he was provoked because he was headbutted.
But an angry Brown yesterday blamed the subsequent all-in brawl on the Storm's illegal wrestling techniques and predicted a "bloodbath" if the NRL continued to ignore the tactics.
"It should be open slather, an eye for an eye," Brown said. "I just pray we get another go at them. The people in charge should make it a free-for-all.
"If (the Storm) want to use the grapple and hit all the other pressure points, that's fine. But if they get whacked, they shouldn't whinge.
"I'll be telling my boys to give them a whack. If they go down, I'll be telling them to whack them again when they get up."
Nightingale yesterday denied headbutting Slater and accused the Storm fullback of throwing punches while two Storm players held him.
"He picked me out when two of his mates held me," Nightingale, the NRL's equal-leading tryscorer, said.
"It was a dog act. There were cameras everywhere. They would have picked up a headbutt but it didn't happen.
"Slater was the one that grabbed me in an attacking way. It wasn't one on one. If it was I don't think he would have started punching.
"He was on the ground after that and I could have started on him but I didn't."
Brown said of the Nightingale incident: "If we get another crack at them, I'll be telling Jason Nightingale to headbutt him harder."
In reference to the incident that led to prop Jason Ryles being sent from the field, Brown was also scathing.
"Jason Ryles should have unpacked out of the scrum and put one on (Jeff Lima's) chin and then when he went down, give him more because you've got to fight the fire with the fire," he said.
"You can't beat Melbourne in a fair contest.
"They claimed Slater was headbutted but they didn't mention it was a wrestling technique which provoked the whole thing.
"They should cop it on the chin. If we play them again I'll be telling my blokes to rip in. If the NRL say something is illegal, I'll still be telling my boys to act on it. It is the schoolboy bully scenario."
Storm coach Craig Bellamy yesterday refuted suggestions his players held Nightingale as Slater punched him.
"They can say what they want," Bellamy said. "I watched the footage. I didn't see anyone holding on to him."
Storm chief executive Brian Waldron laughed off Brown's suggestions.
"I find it quite humorous. Nathan didn't look too upset when he was having a post-match Crown Lager with Craig Bellamy," Waldron said.
Brown, though, was in no laughing mood.
"We don't care what Melbourne do. We never have and I still don't," he said. "We went to Melbourne to join in and have a crack at them.
"After one minute and 50 seconds, they trod on Jamie Soward's hand and then Cooper Cronk grapples Jamie Soward and then a front-rower throws him around like a rag doll.
"When the fight started they accused us of head-butting. Melbourne have got all the tackling techniques. They say they don't practise them but they do. Everyone knows that."
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,24072906-5006066,00.html
Bellamy must be blind. Scum bastard.
Brown, incensed by Slater's defence of his striking charge at the NRL judiciary, said his side would be prepared to use illegal violence against Melbourne if the teams met in the finals.
Slater successfully had his charge for hitting Nightingale with a flurry of punches downgraded on Wednesday night after claiming he was provoked because he was headbutted.
But an angry Brown yesterday blamed the subsequent all-in brawl on the Storm's illegal wrestling techniques and predicted a "bloodbath" if the NRL continued to ignore the tactics.
"It should be open slather, an eye for an eye," Brown said. "I just pray we get another go at them. The people in charge should make it a free-for-all.
"If (the Storm) want to use the grapple and hit all the other pressure points, that's fine. But if they get whacked, they shouldn't whinge.
"I'll be telling my boys to give them a whack. If they go down, I'll be telling them to whack them again when they get up."
Nightingale yesterday denied headbutting Slater and accused the Storm fullback of throwing punches while two Storm players held him.
"He picked me out when two of his mates held me," Nightingale, the NRL's equal-leading tryscorer, said.
"It was a dog act. There were cameras everywhere. They would have picked up a headbutt but it didn't happen.
"Slater was the one that grabbed me in an attacking way. It wasn't one on one. If it was I don't think he would have started punching.
"He was on the ground after that and I could have started on him but I didn't."
Brown said of the Nightingale incident: "If we get another crack at them, I'll be telling Jason Nightingale to headbutt him harder."
In reference to the incident that led to prop Jason Ryles being sent from the field, Brown was also scathing.
"Jason Ryles should have unpacked out of the scrum and put one on (Jeff Lima's) chin and then when he went down, give him more because you've got to fight the fire with the fire," he said.
"You can't beat Melbourne in a fair contest.
"They claimed Slater was headbutted but they didn't mention it was a wrestling technique which provoked the whole thing.
"They should cop it on the chin. If we play them again I'll be telling my blokes to rip in. If the NRL say something is illegal, I'll still be telling my boys to act on it. It is the schoolboy bully scenario."
Storm coach Craig Bellamy yesterday refuted suggestions his players held Nightingale as Slater punched him.
"They can say what they want," Bellamy said. "I watched the footage. I didn't see anyone holding on to him."
Storm chief executive Brian Waldron laughed off Brown's suggestions.
"I find it quite humorous. Nathan didn't look too upset when he was having a post-match Crown Lager with Craig Bellamy," Waldron said.
Brown, though, was in no laughing mood.
"We don't care what Melbourne do. We never have and I still don't," he said. "We went to Melbourne to join in and have a crack at them.
"After one minute and 50 seconds, they trod on Jamie Soward's hand and then Cooper Cronk grapples Jamie Soward and then a front-rower throws him around like a rag doll.
"When the fight started they accused us of head-butting. Melbourne have got all the tackling techniques. They say they don't practise them but they do. Everyone knows that."
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,24072906-5006066,00.html
Bellamy must be blind. Scum bastard.
